Coin guide



R. T.'OCONNELL Feb. 3. .1925.

COIN GUIDE Filed Jan.

INVENTOR PamozvaZ'Ow NH W1TNEssEs3 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 3, 1925 UNIT-ED STAT-ES earner QEJHCE.

corn GUIDE.

Application filed January 2, i924. SeriaUNo; 683,984.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RAYMOND 0 6021-- NELL, a citizen of the *United States of America, and a resident of Mamaroneck, in the county of lVestchester and State of New Yorkphave invented a new and Improved Coin Guide, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to "guide means for a coin drop and more particularly relates to the coin boX and its coin drop appurtenant to turnstiles such as are employed at the stations of city railways. In the use of coin boxes at the turnstiles of city railways it is well recognized that much delay occurs in the movements of the vast numbers of people passing the turnstile owing to the care and deliberation required to enter the coin in the coin slot.

The general object of my invention is to provide a coin guide means particularly adapted to turnstile coin boxes and of such a character that the coin can be guided to and entered in the coin drop unerringly and with facility whereby to promote rapidity in the movement of people through the turnstile.

The nature of my invention and its distinguishing features and advantages will clearly appear as the description proceeds.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a turnstile having my invention embodied in the coin box thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of the guide means;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section in a plane indicated by the line 3-3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 14, Figure 3.

In the illustrated example of my inven tion the letter A indicates aknown turnstile; B, the guard rail at a side thereof; and C, the coin box adjacent the guard rail.

In accordance with my invention 1 form the top or table 10 of the coin box with a longitudinal groove 11 parallel or ap proximately so with the guard rail B. Said groove 11, it will be observed, is in the form of a depression so that the groove is below the plane of the top 10. The groove 11 tapers toward its forward end and leads to the coin drop '01 slot 12- in the top 10.

-At the forward end of the groove 11 and disposed at thecoin drop :12, I providea guard designated generally by the numeral 13. The guard 13 presents side walls 14 terminating slightlyin advanceof the coin drop 12 and the inner surfaces o-f'said side walls and the sides of the slot 12 arefconti'nuous and merge one into' the other. Merging 'alsoiinto the inner surfaces of the side walls la I'a-nd into the wall of thefslot 12 at the forward end is the end wall. 15 of said guard which rises perpendicularly or approximately so. The upper edges 16 of the side walls 14 are, in the preferred form of the invention, oblique, said upper edges merging at the front into the top surface of the table 10 and risin gradually from the front ends of the si e walls to the back of the guard 13.

The arrangement shown and described permits of a person moving quickly along the guard B to instantly dispose the coin in the near end of the slot 11 so that the coin may be held and maintained in the slot 11 as a guide as the person moves along the rail B. The formation of the guard 13 and its relation to the groove 11 make for the ready and unfailing entrance of the coin between the side walls 14 and by natural movements of the fingers the coin is released as it approaches the end wall 15 and thence unfailingly drops through the slot 12. The guiding and release of the coin is brought about in a manner making materially for speed in the passage of large numbers of people through the turnstile since the coin is guided and dropped without studied care or hesitancy. With the coin drops as usually employed at turnstiles annoying interruptions and delays occur due to the failure of those passing through the'stile to enter the coin in the slot at the first attempt, and it not infrequently hep pening that the coin is carried beyond the coin drop and the holder must therefore resaid groove leading to and terminating at said slot, said groove tapering to ward the slot; together with a guard rising from the top at the slot, said guard presenting side walls, said side walls having their inner surfaces continuous with the side walls of the slot and presenting an end wall at the opposite side of the slot from the said groove, said end wall merging into the side walls of the guard and into the end wall of the slot.

2. A coin receptacle having a top formed with a slot through which a coin may be dropped, and formed with a longitudinal groove depressed below the top surface, said groove leading to and terminating at said slot, said groove tapering toward the slot, together with a guard rising from the top at the slot said guard presenting side walls, said side walls having their inner surfaces continuous with the side walls of the slot and presenting an end wall at the opposite side of the slot from the said groove, said end wall merging into the side walls of the guard and into the end wall of the slot, the upper edges of said side walls of the guard rising obliquely from a point in advance of the slot toward the back of the guard and merging into the surface of said top.

3. A coin receptacle having a top formed with a slot through which a coin may he dropped, and a guard rising from said top at said slot, said guard presenting side walls extending from points in advance of the slot to a point in the rear of the slot and presenting an end wall joining the side walls and at the back of the slot; together with an elongated guideway leading to the space between said side walls and to the slot.

RAYMOND T. OCONNELL. 

